March 23, 2018
Well today didn’t go as planned. Because the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was visiting the same sites we had planned, we had to go elsewhere. So, instead of getting to see the Gandhi memorial we went to the Gandhi Smriti (museum). This is the house where Gandhi was staying to make it easier for those he was guiding during India’s partition (separation of Pakistan from India territory) in August 1947.
He was giving a talk at this spot when a man came up for a blessing and then pulled a gun and shot him point blank on January 30, 1948.
Well today didn’t go as planned. Because the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was visiting the same sites we had planned, we had to go elsewhere. So, instead of getting to see the Gandhi memorial we went to the Gandhi Smriti (museum). This is the house where Gandhi was staying to make it easier for those he was guiding during India’s partition (separation of Pakistan from India territory) in August 1947.
He was giving a talk at this spot when a man came up for a blessing and then pulled a gun and shot him point blank on January 30, 1948.
The path he walked to make his last talk.
His humble bedroom.
A beautiful wood panel carving in the house.
The grounds had some beautiful landscaping.
On our way to our next stop we saw a group of Uber drivers holding a protest.
Pedal driven rickshaws are a big part of the traffic mixture. To get a better perspective of what daily life can be like in Delhi, we brave souls climbed aboard for a ride across town.
K.D. ( our tour leader for India) and myself enjoying the ride.
Here is a short video of the experience. You can hear the constant beeping of horns which is an all day occurrence.
After disembarking from the rickshaws and giving thanks that we were still alive, we proceeded to a Muslim family’s home for an information sharing session
I knew that I would feel at home when I saw this sign hanging in the hallway. Any home that says “Bleed Blue “ can’t be all bad.
It was very interesting hearing this lady’s explanation about Muslim believes. She is very intelligent and shared a totally different perspective from what the public has been to led to believe by the radicals. Her mother is next to her and she shared some of her thoughts as well.
After our meeting we went back to the street and had lunch at a local restaurant. These men were making naan bread. It is a flatbread that’s rolled out thin then placed on the side of the wood fired oven to bake.
Flipping the bread out of the oven.
We had an interesting meal. Starting with the rice at 9 o’clock and going clockwise there is minced goat meat, lentil beans, naan bread, potatoes in a tomato sauce, and cheese chunks in a tomato sauce. Behind the water bottle is spinach and cheese. Everything was a bit spicy but delicious
After lunch we visited the Jama Mosque. It is one of the largest mosques in India with a large open courtyard for the congregation. Established in 1656, it has two 135 feet high minaret towers. The courtyard can hold more than 25,000 people.
We did a quick stop to see the Lotus Temple. Due to the Hindu New Year celebration, we weren’t able to go inside because there was a long line of people waiting. The temple was built in 1986 and is a place of worship for the Baha i believers.
Amanda and Stephanie with the hotel doorman. He is a charming man and I love the uniform.
Tomorrow we leave on an early flight to Jaipur. Delhi has been interesting but the large and crowded city is not my cup of tea.
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